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Performance? Yes, there are five settings for going off-roading in various conditions and there’s height adjustment too, to increase ground clearance, which is 7.3 inches. But the LR4 is a strong performer on the road, which is where it will spend most of its time.
The ute’s 5.0-liter V8 is strong and fairly quiet. It makes a hefty 375 hp and will quickly ramp the truck up to highway speeds via its smooth, quiet 6-speed automatic transmission, which comes with/CommandShift that allows clutchless manual shifts.
The LR4 is heavy though, weighing 5,833 lbs., yet the engine is more than sufficient and will tow up to 7,716 lbs. So a trailer and sleds is no problem.
Coupled with the power is pretty precise handling for a big ute, which makes the solid truck easy to drive and park. There’s little body lean in turns and a fairly firm feel to the wheel.
Ride is mostly smooth and controlled, but it can get truck-like and jiggly on chattery disintegrating cement city streets.
Braking is first rate with four-wheel discs and traction and stability control. And the four-wheel drive system is constant, so no shifting in and out of four-wheel mode is necessary.
Naturally this big beast drinks premium fuel, and a lot of it. I got 14.0 mpg in a relatively even mix of city and highway driving. That seems about right as the EPA rates this at 12 mpg city and 17 highway.
So if you lean toward luxury, need a ute that’ll climb Mount Kilimanjaro and have the dough to blow on a special 4-wheeler, the LR4 may be calling your name.